This is horrible

[Lizzyg]

I am on day 5 of Fluoxitine.

Have no appetite, anxiety symtoms especially in the evening are out of control, cannot sleep just buzzing all night.

Dont know whether this is the meds or am I more anxious because I am taking meds??

Doc has given me diazepam as well to take but a bit worried about taking these as well.

Does it get better??? Is it worth it??

Just don't feel like me at the moment!

[suzy-sue]

All antidepressants can make you feel horrible and often worse before they start to work ..It is worth sticking with it .Just take each day as it comes for now .Gradually you will start to have good periods and they will become longer .Try to eat tiny ammounts of food often and maybe get some Complan milk shakes .&Smoothies You will get your appetite back ,but these will give you the vits you need until then .Take the Diaz the Dr gave you .Especially before bed ,it will ease the anxiety and hopefully enable you to get a better sleep .Im sure you will feel better in a couple of weeks .but it can take 4 weeks or even 6 to get the full benefits .Take care of yourself it will improve ..luv Sue

[faith2011]

I think it takes a while to kick in. I took the same medication but coulnt finish it because I felt worse then I did when I was having anxiety.

Maybe try to stick with it for another week or so and give your body a chance to get used to it?

[JaneC]

Does it get better??? Is it worth it??

Certainly in my case - yes! Try to persist if you can Lizzie, it's only your first week, which can be very hard going. I've never had diazepam but maybe it would help with the anxiety - docs often prescribe it to help with the early side effects of SSRIs. I hope you feel better soon, whether you decide to carry on or not xx

[Lizzyg]

Thank you for your positive comments!

I have resisted SSRI's for years but Doc thought about time as I have been signed off work for 4 weeks and everything is out of control!

I am up and down throughout the day. Evenings are worse and the nausea its like being pregnant again!

Doc has told me to trust her and to be brave in the first 2-3 weeks but as you all know when you suffer with anxiety everything is amplified.

I know I should stick with it give it chance to work but it is so hard taking a tablet that at the moment is making me feel worse not better.

thanks again to everyone! xx

[Mogwog]

I have been on this for 6 weeks now and feel a little better but when I first started I felt awful, more anxious, nausea, lump in throat, sore throat, chills, insomnia - you name it I had it.

Keep at it you will feel better soon.

Love

Laura.xxx

[unfitwellhappy]

You should ask your doctor about using Propranolol instead of Diazepam - it's a beta blocker as opposed to a benzo.

When I got my increased dose from 20 to 40 I was given Propranolol and they take away the physical symptoms of anxiety allowing me to be a bit more focussed and get on with things.

[dtaber]

Lizzy,

Are you taking your flouxetine at night or in the morning? That can make a difference with your sleep.

I take mine in the morning because otherwise I would be up all night. I have been on prozac for 6 weeks after a short 2 week trial on paxil. I hated the paxil it gave me really bad panic attacks.So my doctor switched me to Prozac with atavan for panic attacks.

When I first started the prozac- I was nauseous, headachy, and the panic got a little worse for the first 3 weeks.

Today I have been completely without any atavan and only relying on the prozac and my mind to get me through.

Don't lose hope yet. It can get worse before its better. If you can stick with it-it is soooooo worth it.

[Lizzyg]

Finished 1st week on fluoxetine!

Having a really bad day today havn't even managed to get out of bed!!

Panic attacks last night coming in waves for 2 hours reaally horrible and scary.

Don't know what to do spoke to Doc who says my choice. I can persevere or stop the prozac tomorrow and try a trycyclic next week.

Really harre feeling like this especially as I can't eat, breathe properly, sleep, got the tremors ans shakes, pins and needles but at least not full blown panic as I am led in bed!

Help please

[JaneC]

Have you tried taking the diazepam to help you through this Lizzy? I don't want to put you off tricyclics and they have worked for me in their way but both that I've had were incredibly sedating at the beginning (although you might prefer that to what the fluox is doing) and caused me to gain huge amounts of weight.

Also, this is not something you necessarily think about when starting out and you are just desperate to feel better - but I went through pretty awful discontinuation effects when I came off a tricyclic 18 months ago.

As I say a tricyclic might be good - or you might find that difficult to tolerate in the beginning as well. The unfortunate thing is none of us know how any of these pills are going to affect us until we've tried them. Keep posting to let us know how you are doing xxx